MOScout Daily Update: Wednesday Showdown? - APR Rollout - Zellers, Haug to Stay - Sutherland Promoted - Blue City in Red State and more…
Wednesday Showdown?
House Republicans will return to Jefferson City tomorrow for their “winter caucus.” It’s expected that much of the discussion will revolve around caucus priorities for the upcoming session. And that means it’ll be a chance for Speaker-elect Jon Patterson to lay out his plan – and chance for Rep. Justin Sparks to articulate the reasons behind his challenge to Patterson.
· My guess is that the caucus will make a determinative decision about their path forward with regard to the recent vote to reverse the state’s total abortion ban.
· And while I also expect Sparks’ challenge to peter out here, I’d be surprised if this pattern isn’t repeated. That is, Freedom Caucus identifying an issue in which it differs from leadership, amplifying that difference on social media, and attempting to get folks (think Senate 2026 primary candidates) on the record for a future “scorecard.”
Also
Regardless of the House’s decision on attacking A3 this session, there are senators with a similar interest. Politico reports on pro-life groups dealing with ballot initiatives. Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, and Sen-elect Brad Hudson get quoted.
State Rep. Brad Hudson, a Missouri Republican, said his state’s passage of an abortion-rights constitutional amendment — the first to overturn a near-total ban since the fall of Roe — is “not the end of the fight to protect the unborn, not by a long shot.”
“There are things that we can do, that we can put in law, that we can try,” he said, suggesting another constitutional amendment on a future ballot to override the one Missourians just passed. “There’s never one moment where the battle is over.”
DESE APR Release
The Department of Secondary Education is in the middle of releasing the Annual Performance Report which is meant to show how schools are doing and if they should remain accredited.
Local education agencies received the numbers yesterday. Media will get it today. Everything is embargoed until November 25 when it gets a full public release.
Why It Matters
· Legislators will hear from constituents if schools in their area appear to be underperforming, or their numbers drop. It can make some folks angry, and question the tests and process.
· The report is also used as fodder for the state’s ongoing charter school versus traditional public school tug-of-war.
Kehoe Announces Two Holdovers
Press release: Governor-Elect Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Kenneth (Ken) J. Zellers as Commissioner of the Missouri Office of Administration (OA). Kehoe also announced Dan Haug will continue to serve as State Budget Director in the incoming administration.
What It Means
Budget and operations are two incredibly critical pieces to state government. Kehoe’s choosing to go with trusted and tested hands in these positions is a smart move.
Graves Passed Over for Cabinet Role
President-elect Donald Trump nominated former Congressman Sean Duffy to be his Secretary of Transportation, a job that Congressman Sam Graves had sought. The possibility of a new congressional vacancy drew interest among politicos.
· Some figured that Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer would be a top contender to succeed Graves. And one Tony-mindreader thinks he “will focus on trying to get US Attorney, Western District—I’ve heard his name in the mix.”
Sutherland Promoted
Press release: Heidi Geisbuhler Sutherland will serve as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s first Director of Policy Development and Strategy. In this role, Sutherland will lead the development of strategic policy positions aimed at protecting and advancing Missouri employers. She’ll also provide in-depth analysis and recommendations regarding legislation and state and federal regulations.
· Sutherland joined the Missouri Chamber in 2022 as Director of Legislative Affairs. Previously, she worked as Director of Government Relations and Director of Legislative Affairs at the Missouri State Medical Association… Before her time at the MSMA, Sutherland served on the legislative staff for multiple lawmakers…
Parson and Kehoe to RGA
From the Post-Dispatch: “Missouri’s current and future chief executives are in Florida this week as part of a post-election meeting of the Republican Governors Association. For Gov. Mike Parson, the trip to Marco Island on the Gulf of Mexico marks a closure after six years at the helm of state government… His successor, Gov.-elect Mike Kehoe, will be among eight recently elected governors attending their first RGA event.”
Moving Missouri Forward
In the large contributions, the pro Parson Uniting Missouri PAC received $150,000 from Moving Missouri Forward. Parson leaves office in less than two months.
Moving Missouri Forward appears to be the vehicle his team set up in 2020 to “promote the 2021 Bicentennial inaugural activities and further advance the development of the State of Missouri.” The website is now a simple page to order Parson’s No Turnin Back biography.
· A different entity, Moving Missouri Forward Foundation (see the website here), shares the same PO Box, but is “designed to support programs such as Jobs for America’s Graduates – Missouri, Inc., children with special needs as well as other programs focused on Missouri’s children.”
MOIndy on PACs
Missouri Independent reports on the proliferation of PACs, and the sometimes-taxing effort to keep track of them all. Read it here.
Some states require PACs backing single candidates or with specific donors to include the politician or the funders in their name. Not Missouri. Instead, PAC names can be a set of initials used for a reason no one can remember, a feel-good name that doesn’t have anything to do with the interest being promoted or even the name of a favorite television character.
· Reminder for new subscribers: I’ve compiled a listing of PACs, and which candidate they’re associated with, here. It’s surely incomplete, but it’s my best effort. I update it – with the cash on-hand totals – every three months.
The Economic Value of a Blue City in a Red State
My unsolicited advice to the Kehoe Administration as they develop an economic plan. I wrote this in an opinion piece in the St. Louis Business Journal this week.
· Republicans took over the state Senate in 2001, and the state House two years later. During those two decades the state’s economy has been a consistent under-performer. Perhaps this slow growth isn’t the result of legislative failures. But I’m inclined to place some measure of the blame there.
· So I have a suggestion: Let St. Louis be St. Louis.
· This means let St. Louis be the “sanctuary city” it wants to be for immigrants. It means exempting St. Louis from any red-state moralizing legislation regarding gays; trans; diversity, equity and inclusion; and critical race theory, etc. Stopping attacking St. Louis’ great universities for being “woke” or doing research or performing medical treatments that don’t poll well with Republicans. And for goodness’ sake, let St. Louis regulate its own gun laws. Let St. Louis be a place where young people want to come…
· There are ample success stories of blue cities driving a renewal in red state economies. Nashville is the engine of Tennessee. Austin has conjured a technology mecca in the middle of Texas. The Research Triangle of Raleigh and Durham make up a quarter of North Carolina’s entire GDP.
· Listen, I understand that St. Louis’ leadership hasn’t batted 1.000. But for two decades the state legislature has tried to make St. Louis act like Jefferson City. It hasn’t worked. Let’s try something new. And you might see this city roar to life, unleashing something of a Missouri Miracle.
Mark Your Calendar
For those plotting out their 2025 calendars… the legislature will take its Spring Break on the week of March 17.
Lobbyist Registrations
Nexus Group added Evolve Energy Partners, LLC.
Ryan DeBoef added Missouri Empowerment Project.
Dave Poskey added Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.
Claudia Alley added Raptor Technologies.
$5K+ Contributions
Uniting Missouri PAC (pro-Parson) - $150,000 from Moving Missouri Forward Inc.
MoCannTrade PAC - $12,500 from Good Day Farm Missouri.
American Promise PAC (pro-Malek) - $25,000 from Rex Sinquefield.
Missourians for Constitutional Freedom - $17,675 from ACLU of Oregon (Portland, OR).
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Fred Dreiling, Tom Crawford, Brianna Lennon, and Kenny Jones.